Thursday’s latest stories from the world of football in ESPN FC’s What’s Trending…
LIVERPOOL: Liverpool have rejected a second bid from Barcelona for Philippe Coutinho, a source has told ESPN FC.
– RB Leipzig could lose midfielder Naby Keita, a target for Liverpool this year, in next summer’s transfer window.
– WATCH: How would Liverpool line up without Coutinho?
– Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool are focused on their opening Premier League fixture against Watford before thinking about the important Champions League qualifying game against Hoffenheim next Tuesday.
MAN UNITED: Jose Mourinho says the weight of expectation on Manchester United is hampering their bid to reclaim a place at the top of European football — and believes it will take two more years to get back to the top.
– Nemanja Matic is confident Manchester United will perform well in the Premier League despite their Super Cup setback against Real Madrid.
– The Glazer family will sell a further two percent of Manchester United shares worth around $72.89 million (£56.04m) on the New York Stock Exchange, sources close to the club have told ESPN FC.
– Football Association chief executive Martin Glenn says he is confident that Manchester United will eventually launch a women’s team.
TOTTENHAM: Tottenham defender Danny Rose has said he would consider offers to leave the club and he has “probably only got one big contract left in me.”
REAL MADRID: Gareth Bale says he is ready to fight Kylian Mbappe for his place at Real Madrid instead of swapping the Bernabeu for Manchester United this summer.
ARSENAL: Arsene Wenger has ruled Alexis Sanchez out of Arsenal’s Premier League opener with Leicester on Friday due to an abdominal strain.
NEWCASTLE: Rafa Benitez says he has spoken with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger over the possibility of signing Lucas Perez, but faces competition from the striker’s former club Deportivo La Coruna.
INTER MILAN: Inter have signed defender Dalbert from Nice, with the full-back signing a five-year contract on Tuesday after undergoing a medical.
PREMIER LEAGUE: Executive chairman Richard Scudamore is glad it wasn’t an English club who spent a world record fee to sign Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar.
– Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes there will eventually be a woman in charge of a club in the Premier League.
PSG: The president of the French Football Federation (FFF) has told L’Equipe he is confident that Neymar will soon be able to make his Paris Saint-Germain debut.
CHELSEA: Antonio Conte has conceded that Nemanja Matic’s move to Manchester United is a “great loss” for Chelsea and reiterated that more signings are required for the Blues to have any hope of defending their Premier League title this season.
MEXICO: Rafael Marquez has categorically denied any connection to a drug trafficking organization after being sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday.
MLS: Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez has defended the decision of countryman Carlos Vela to join MLS’ Los Angeles FC.
– Sporting Kansas City beat the San Jose Earthquakes 5-4 on penalties on Wednesday night to reach the final of the U.S. Open Cup.
– The New England Revolution are set to acquire former Sporting Kansas City attacker Krisztian Nemeth, pending league approval, multiple sources have told ESPN FC analyst Taylor Twellman.
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